The Night Before
by Ygraine vom See
Summary: Some short Stories about Doug, Ann and Tony at the eve of the visit from Senator Clark. I hope you enjoy this. For all, who asked me about a sequel to "Ann's Decision"; I'm working on it. I don't own Ann, Doug, Tony or anything "Time Tunnel" related and this is only a work of fiction. English isn't my first language, I apologize for all errors in advance.
1. Chapter 1: Doug

_**AN: On the eve of Senator Clarke's visit, Doug walked through the corridors of the Tic Toc Complex. Enjoy and let me know, what you think.**_

_Wandering through the quiet, dimly lit corridors of Tic Toc complex always had a soothing effect on him. But not tonight. Tomorrow would be a crucial day. The day, when his big dream maybe came to an end. The dream of traveling in time._

_He remembered his childhood. His parents, ever so busy, ever so distant. They were successful in their occupations and they never had much time for their only son. Sometimes he wished to be far away, in another universe or in another time. He saw himself as a knight, as an explorer of foreign countries or as a Marshal like Wyatt Earp. He never saw himself as a surgeon like his father or an astronomer like his mother. The relation between his parents were polite but aloof. There wasn't much warmth, much love. _

_He excelled in school, had a natural talent for mathematics. Numbers and calculations became his friends. _

_At university he found real friends, only few, but for the first time he wasn't an outsider. He was shy, withdrawn and never noticed the girls at the campus, which regarded him with favor._

_He liked sport, in the summertime he and his buddy's went swimming a lot, he liked playing tennis and so he looked nothing like a bookworm. He excelled also in his studies, gained knowledge not only in mathematics, but quantum physic and history. And always was there this dream. The dream to go back in time and have a look at the events who took place long time before he was born._

_His parents died in a car crash shortly after he got his graduate degree in science. The foremost memories of them were the survival trips with his father. And of his mother, explaining the star constellations to him._

_He found a girl and thought himself in love, but it don't lasted long._

_The numbers and calculations became his only friends again. And then he got the opportunity to make his dream come true._

_With the realization of project Tic Toc came the responsibility. But for him it wasn't a burden. Five years of planning and supervising the construction work and finally he could begin. His relation to his co-workers was friendly, but restrained. He liked to work with Dr. Raymond Swain and also with the military leader, General Kirk. At some times he had the feeble feeling, that something was missing in his life, but he wasn't sure, what it could be. _

_He had of course emotions, but he could not show them._

_One day Raymond Swain talked to him about hiring a new scientist, who could do calculations and work at the control desk. He was far away with his thoughts and only nodded, when Ray told him about a scientist, he was acquainted with. _

_He forgot the talk, much to busy with his work at and in the tunnel helices. Success was rare and setbacks the order of the day. He took it in stride, never complained but likewise never rejoiced. He stayed for himself. Only seldom he shared the meals with others. He spoke rarely about himself and although there were many young and attractive women in the tunnel complex, he took no notice. With time he had come to trust Dr. Swain and General Kirk and opened up to them a bit._

_He was content with his life, he knew it not differently._

_Then came the day, when Ray brought the new colleague._

_He didn't know, if Ray had forgotten to tell him, that the new scientist was a woman or if he had not listened. The last was more probable. And so he was ill-prepared for the sight of the young, beautiful woman with auburn hair and green eyes, which Ray introduced as Dr. Ann MacGregor. He had worked in the tunnel and had grease on his shirt and on his hands, and as he later learns, on his face, too. But he don't cared, the only thing he saw, was the faint smile on her face and the light in her eyes. She wore her hair in a complicated up-do and he wished he could see her with her hair down._

_And she wasn't only beautiful, she was intelligent, and very interested in his work. She accepted the offer to work for Tic Toc. And he felt something like happiness for the first time since long._

_It took him not very long, to notice, that Ann was reticent as himself. If it was her unobtrusive behavior, or her undeniable knowledge, he didn't know, but he felt attracted to her. Nonetheless it took him more than a year, to acknowledge that they shared a special kind of friendship._

_Their teamwork was fruitful and more and more the constellation were shifted. At first Ray worked the most of his time with Ann, but now it were him and Ann, who worked often together and discussed things, he formerly only talked about with Ray. Kirk and Swain noticed also, that Doug was more relaxed, more open and that he actually sometimes smiled._

_When Dr. Anthony Newman joined the Tic Toc team, he brought new energy and power with him. Doug, who was a couple of years older than his new co-worker, had a hard time, to accept the youngest graduate in science._

_But soon enough he appreciated the ideas of the resourceful man. While an unobtrusive friendship with Tony was formed, his relation with Ann changed in a subtle way._

_While he and Tony quarreled often enough about their work, Ann was the calming influence. Without many words only with her presence, she understood to appease them._

_When Tony worked until late in the tunnel helices, Doug and Ann made their calculations together and discussed often till deep in the night._

_If someone had told Doug, that he was on a fair way to fall in love with Ann, he would have denied it. Love was a foreign concept to him, but it took not long, to became aware, that something bothered him. The easiness how Tony treated Ann, made Doug uneasy. Unsure how he should act, he watched them both until Sergeant Jiggs, of all people, advised him that Ann surely would like it, to be courted by him. Another foreign concept for Doug, but when he asked her for a date, she accepted with apparent joy._

_They met for dinner in the staff canteen, for a tennis match in the leisure area or for a swim in the pool. It wasn't a real date, because they saw each other daily and sometimes worked together the whole day long._

_While he was still walking, Doug smiled to himself. He was gone a long way, from the lonely boy to a reticent but self-assured man, who could accept his feelings as well as the feelings of others. _

_He never talked about love, but Ann knew him well enough, to know his feelings for her, or so he thought. She was always there for him, no matter what happened. _

_And now, after ten years of his work for Project Tic Toc, it came to a decision. The government wanted to see successful results. But as yet, they had only sent objects and lab-rats into time. And never brought them back. Tomorrow he had to use all his knowledge, all his persuasion to talk the Senator into the continuation of Tic Toc. The restlessness wouldn't leave him. Tony worked in the tunnel to relieve his worries. _

_As Doug went to his quarters he saw a light under Ann's door._

_He hesitated but knocked however. Ann was awake and had waited for him. They spent the night together, lying in each others arms, talking until they had fallen asleep._

_When he awoke Ann was lying with her head on his chest, her hair spreading over him like a fan and her hand caressing his thigh. He wanted lying forever in this embrace, but today was the day. Ann kissed him tenderly and assured him of her assistance with the Senator. Vowing to himself, that he would tell her how much he love her, when the visit from Clark was over, he rose from the bed, drawing her up and whispered in her ear that he would never leave her._


	2. Chapter 2: Ann

_**The second chapter is dedicated to Dr. Ann MacGregor. Read and enjoy and gave me feedback, please. :-)**_

_As Ann MacGregor was a little girl, she lived in a world of princesses and princes, in a world where always the beautiful girl got the knight, and love was the biggest goal to reach. In her eyes her mother was a princess and her father the prince. Her mother, a former prima ballerina was a graceful beauty and her father, an Ambassador, was her devoted knight. The love between her parents was like a fairy tale. _

_Between the petite danseuse and the tall, dark haired and handsome Diplomat it was love at first sight. They married and in a fairy tale it would have ended with the words: And they lived happily until their end. But it wasn't a fairy tale. Soon they had a baby girl, who was named after one of her Scottish ancestors. Ann was a small child and her mother loved to dress her like a doll. But in the love story of her parents, Ann only had little space. She grew older and had at first a nanny and then a governess, because her parents traveled much and moved often from one country to another. Ann grew up to a tall, always a little clumsy teenager. Also the ballet classes did not change it much. When she watched her parents, her heart ached for someone, who would love her so unconditionally._

_When she got older, she wanted not to be like her mother. She was intelligent and determined to study. Her governess or as her mother called her, the paid companion, encouraged her. Ann visited European schools and after that, she studied in the USA._

_Some semesters history and biochemie, but her true interest lay in the upcoming computer technology. Soon she had a good reputation as programer. And she got her final degree in the new field of electro nuclear biochemie. She got a job at the university and was eager to gain more knowledge. Her parents weren't overjoyed, that she choose to work in a men's world. Especially her mother tried to change her mind. But to be a good scientist, one had to be stubborn. And Ann had a lot of stubbornness in herself. She visited her parents in Russia, short before she got the offer from Dr. Raymond Swain to work on a secret government project. There was a ball at the embassy and her mother had placed her next to a young and promising ambassador from England. Ann found him dull and conceited. As he told her, that he find it "sweet", that she pretended to be a scientist, she gave him a murderous look and left. It was the last time she saw her parents. While she was on the return flight, there were an assassination at the embassy. Her parents both died. Of course she grieved for them, but somewhere in the farthest corner of her mind she was relieved. At least they were together, wherever they were now. _

_By the time she had developed into an independent, elegant and beautiful woman._

_She went to three lectures, given by Dr. Swain. Afterward she was asking him a lot of questions. Swain liked the young woman especially how her mind worked and invited her to a cup of coffee._

_A couple of weeks later, she had a visit of some strange people who subjected her to an interrogation. After that she was visited by Dr. Swain, who offered her a position in a secret government project._

_She was curious and Swain brought her to the desert of Arizona, explaining only little of what she had to expect. She was impressed from the first moment on, but she didn't show it. She had long ago cultivated the art, seemingly being aloof, cool and emotionless. Her smile was polite but not serene and reached seldom her eyes. _

_It wasn't her true personality, but an older colleague had told her, if she want to be taken serious from her male co-workers, she should never smile, because a serious scientist never smiles. And she should show no interest in her male colleagues at all. Ann wasn't aware, that this female co-worker, who gave her this advices, was jealous of her good looks and of the glances she received by the men at her working place. _

_But Dr. Ann MacGregor wasn't interested in a relationship at all. She was never in love, only a little infatuated sometimes. And the only time she could envision something like a commitment, it was only a flight of fancy on her side. He was the guy, of which every girl dreamed of and he had chosen her for the prom. She was in seventh heaven for only one night. The other morning he had told her, that he had won a bet. His comrades had thought, that he wasn't able to seduce the "Ice-Queen". Since then, she was very reticent with anything related to relationships._

_After Kirk and Swain had explained, what they were doing, they gave her a tour through the Tic Toc Complex, that ended in the main control center. Then Ray introduced her to the man behind the idea of a time machine._

_Ann hadn't thought much about the people she would meet. He was obviously absorbed into his work and as she caught sight on him, she had to smile. It was a small smile, that reached nonetheless her eyes. She liked him at first view, with his tousled hair and the grease all over him. And he was much younger than she had expected. Older than she was, but a couple of years younger than Ray for example. He had regarded her curious, but with a warmth in his brown eyes, she could feel nearly bodily. After he had changed his clothes, they sat together with Ray, General Kirk and Sergeant Jiggs in the staff canteen, drank coffee and talked. Swain and Kirk were holding themselves back. Doug was in his element, as he explained, what he and his co-workers had in mind. Ann's open interest and her qualified questions led Dr. Phillips to offer her the job at the controls and at the processors. Not knowing, that he found her beautiful, she hadn't thought long about it and accepted._

_They worked side by side and Ann appreciated it, that Doug was as reticent than she. A friendship was forming between them. They spent time together after they called it a day, however they talked always about their work. At a time, when they seemingly had come to an impasse, Dr. Anthony Newman joined the team. When Ann thought about it, it was logically, that he was also a loner. Doug and Tony weren't compatible at first. Tony was a hothead, where Doug was calm. Tony experimented without asking, where Doug hesitated because he was the leading scientist, who had to answer to the government. Tony made changes in the blueprints without telling Doug and Ray. It took some time for him to be integrated. Not that Tony changed himself so much, Doug and Ray became accustomed to him and his non orthodox ways. For Ann it was easier to work with him, he treated her like a long time friend and she saw him as a younger brother, which she never had. It was the first time, that Ann thought, that Doug might feeling more for her, than collegiality or friendship. He watched her constantly, if she talked to Tony. But she couldn't believe that Doug maybe was jealous._

_Tony's fresh ideas brought new momentum to their work. The break through came, when all of them worked on the radiation bath. And something else changed, too. _

_Ann was surprised by Doug, who invited her to dinner outside of the Tic Toc Complex. The nearest town was Henderson City, a favorite destination for the time tunnel personnel. They spent a nice evening with each other and talked for the first time not only about their work. From this day on, their relationship changed, slowly, nearly unnoticed, except from them. They met after long work hours or for breakfast. They visited each other in their quarters, sometimes with Tony, but more and more it was only the two of them. Ann became more relaxed, more open. She smiled sometimes at work. She and Doug went swimming in the recreation area, played tennis, took a drink together. They didn't talked about it, it was as a matter of course. They went to Phoenix/Arizona for an evening of dancing. Tony was with them, he had invited one of the girls from the lab. They had much fun and Ann felt free and contented. On the way back Doug halted his car and they watched the sunrise together. He put his arm around her shoulder and Ann laid her head at his chest. The night before her birthday Doug asked her if she would like to drive to the desert because they felt caged. Ann had laughed at Doug when she saw that he had a bottle of champagne and two glasses with him.._

_She never had thought, that he was aware of her birthday. But he knew and he gave her a ring as present. She was surprised and at the same time a little overwhelmed. But Doug told her, that it was only a birthday present. He had seen the ring and thought him fitting. She hesitantly accepted his present and gave him a peck on the cheek. He saw in her eyes and Ann understood without words, that it was his way to tell her how much he cared for her. They drank the champagne and at some point Doug kissed her tenderly and she kissed him back with all she had in her. It was a beginning of some sorts and she would have had liked more of this closeness. But their work was so important to them, that there was little time for romance. Or so she thought. _

_Ann looked at her watch, it was nearly midnight. She had thought, that Doug would show up. Since two weeks they knew, that the Senator was coming for a visit and that it wasn't a courtesy call was clear to them. They had doubled their efforts, worked nearly round the clock. She knew, that Doug took his responsibility serious. She heard him talk to Tony, that he has to be polite and diplomatic. And not to act single-handedly. She decided to wait for Doug._

_Meanwhile Ann corrected some of her work-reports. But her mind wasn't on it. She thought of Doug, of the evenings, when he came to her quarters or she went to his. Often they lay in bed and snuggled together. They kissed and caressed each other and talked all night long. But neither Doug nor Ann talked about their feelings. Ann knew, they had time, so much time. They were together every day, no need to rush things. She smiled, when she heard the knock at her door and let him in. As she was lying in his arms this night she had a feeling of foreboding. She scolded herself silly. Doug held her tight and kissed her with abandon. So what should happen? The morning came much to fast and when Doug whispered in her ear, that he would never leave her alone, she shivered from an unknown fear._


	3. Chapter 3: Tony

**Now this is Tony's story, and I have to admit, that it was very difficult for me, to write from his point of view. I like the character and I like the actor, but I had a hard time to get into his mind. I hope you like it nonetheless and you will tell me what you are thinking. At the moment I would say, this little storyline is at an end, but maybe I get the idea to write about Kirk or Ray.**

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For a long time he couldn't remember the day his father died. Later, when he was thinking about it, all he knew that he was on a run with his best friend. There were noise and bombers and they had to be fast and seek shelter and finally they stood on a hill and looked to the harbor and over the town which explode in smoke and ashes. He saw his father never again.

Then began the odyssey for the small orphaned boy. From one aunt and uncle to the next family, which was somehow related to him. They all were sympathetically, they all were kind to the boy, who had first lost his mother from an illness, and then a year later his father at the horrible day at Pearl Harbor. He seemed to be eager to grew up, made it through grammar school and high school faster as his comrades and excelled also at the college. His passion was the science, he won nearly every competition in school and college. He was driven by a force, only known to him.

He turned into a withdrawn, sometimes very impatient and hotheaded young man, who also had another side, which he only seldom showed. He had a beautiful singing voice and liked post-impressionist art. Only that no one was ever aware of that. He was a loner, tireless and totally dedicated to his research. And he had no patience for imperfection. He had admirers for his work but no real friends. He flirted and sometimes he had a date, preferably with a blonde girl. But all this wasn't serious, because there always came a point on which he drew himself back. He knew he had hurt some of the women with his behavior, but he couldn't bring himself to stay with one of the girls for a longer time.

The offer to work for Tic Toc came as a challenge to him. He arrived there with little luggage and plunged into the work. He admired Doug and liked him a lot. In the a couple of years older man, he saw a kindred spirit, something like a brother or a close friend. Things he was missing in his life, without knowing it. If he had shown this, it would have been easier for him and for his colleague as well. But Tony was like a bull in a china shop. He changed blueprints without further inquiry, he ignored Dougs advices and disobeyed Kirks orders. Only Ann was spared his hotheaded temper. She was always calm, ignored his raging tirades, when something worked not as he had expected and one look from her, set him on ease again. And for a time she was some kind of moderator between him and Doug. Tony liked Ann, but in a platonic way. As she saw in him a younger brother, Tony saw Ann as a sister or a cousin. With time he and Doug learned to live with each other and at last they became aware, that they were very similar in most of things, but different in others and so complemented one another. Tony regarded Doug since long as friend, but didn't show it. He wanted to, but he feared that like so often, when he got used to someone, Doug would disappear from his life. Tony liked it, when they all sat together, either in the control room or in the staff canteen, sometimes in Doug's or Ann's quarters and discussing their work. From this meetings they got the best ideas to bring their project forward. And it was nice for a change not to be alone.

After more than a year, he had himself integrated. He and Doug worked close together and Tony was full of ideas, some of them feasible, others not. When he noticed, that his friend and colleague spent more and more time after work with Ann, he thought them talking about their work. But then he saw the smile on Ann's face, when Doug was beside her. How Doug's face lit up, when Ann talked to him. So he became aware, that something was going on between them. He wasn't jealous, but felt a little lonely. One weekend he cajoled his friend to an evening in a dancing bar in Phoenix. He had a little something with a girl from one of the labs and invited her, as well Doug invited Ann. The girl was called Sheila, had long blonde locks, was witty and nice to look at. She suggested, that they should drive in two cars, to be independent from one another. Tony owned no car, but Sheila had a pick up truck and Doug had a Chevrolet cabriolet. They had much fun, they danced and talked and Tony was a bit tipsy. Later in the evening Doug and Ann danced cheek to cheek oblivious for the world around them. Tony flirted intensively with Sheila and she wasn't adverse for a kiss and a maybe a little bit more, so they left the bar much earlier than their colleagues. When Doug and Tony met the other morning, both seemed to be bleary-eyed and exchanged a conspiratorial glance.

The break through in their work, came with the idea of the radiation bath. Tony was on holiday with some relatives, as he got a call from Doug, who had thought about a device, that minted the time traveler with a kind of radiation and so could be traced with the controls. Tony came back as fast as possible, brought a very new and very expensive SLR Camera with him and no one was secure from him and his toy. The idea for the radiation bath was initially from Ann, who talked about something she had read in a science magazine. Doug read it too and expanded the whole idea, but it was Tony, who implement it. Now it was much easier to follow the test objects.

After the first time, they had an instant reading on a mice and could see the animal on the screen, they celebrated. Tony took some pictures, a few of them without telling his "victims". From this moment on, the work on Tic Toc became frantic. They had not much time for other activities and Sheila, who was for a time very close with Tony, left him and the project.

The Control room was only sparsely lit while it was "night" in the tunnel complex. Tony sipped his coffee and had the thousandth look at an interface diagram. He was tired and knew it would be better if he go to sleep. Doug had talked to him in the afternoon, but Tony knew long ago what was on stake. Surprisingly for him it wasn't only the thought of the project being canceled, but also the thought of loosing the friendship with Doug, the comradeship with the others, who worked in the Complex. He knew only to well, how Doug was involved with the tunnel. That it was the dream of his only real friend, to travel through the time. Maybe he could prevent, that the fears of all connected to the project came true.

He would change some settings and make a test. If it would work, then good, but if not, he had another option. If he had to work the whole night, he would do it.

Doug had told him in not uncertain terms, that he forbade him, to attempt to go in the activated tunnel himself.

Tony had agreed to it.

When he met Doug, Ray and Ann for breakfast, he was bleary-eyed and short tempered. But one look from Doug told him, that it wasn't time for imprudent action.

Tony went back into the tunnel helices and left his worried friend Doug behind, after he had again consented to stay calm, but his innermost thoughts were another story altogether.


End file.
